's favourite cat was called Muezza. There is a well-known story regarding the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and Muezza. When the call to prayers was heard,

Muezza was asleep on one of the sleeves

of the Prophet’s (s.a.w) robes. The

Prophet (s.a.w) wanted to wear the

robe to go to prayers. Rather than

disturb Muezza, Muhammad (s.a.w) cut off the sleeve to leave Muezza in peace.

Prophet (s.a.w) then stroked the cat

three times, which, it is said, granted

Muezza seven lives and the ability to

land on his feet at all times (as you

might know, cats have a self-righting mechanism,a righting reflex, which is a

complex series of movements when a

cat falls and which protects the cat from

breaking her back). Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was so

attached to his cat that when he gave

sermons he let Muezza rest on his lap

and he also drank from water previously

drunk by his cat. He also did his ablutions

from the same water that was drunk by a cat. He seemed to treat his cat in the

same way as cat lovers do today but

even cat lovers might think twice about

drinking the same water that had been

drunk by a cat for fear of transmission of

disease from the cat’s saliva (but see below). Islam teaches Muslims to treat cats well

and that the cat is a creature to be

cherished and loved. Mistreating a cat is

regarded as a severe sin in Islam. Cats according to the Qur`an and Sunnah An example as to how Muslims are

punished for mistreating cats can be

found in the `ahadith (oral traditions

telling the story of the Prophet

Mohammed (s.a.w) and which have

been recorded in writing). When a woman kept a cat locked up and failed

to feed the cat until the cat died, the

woman was tortured and "put to hell.” It is believed that you will suffer no

harm if you drink from the cat’s water

provided no impurities are seen in the

cat’s mouth. In another story from the

`ahadith, it is stated that a when a cat

ate a pudding put down during prayers, the person who was in charge of the

pudding ate from the same place as the

cat and Prophet (s) said this was alright

as the cat is not unclean and is "one of

those who go around amongst us". Islam teaches Muslims that, in relation to a cat: 1.) The cat should not be sold for money or other traded goods. 2.) Cats saliva is harmless unless the cat has "visible impurities" in the mouth. 3.) Muslims are free to live with cats but they must treat cats well, providing the

cat with enough water and food and

giving "roaming time" (a degree of

freedom of movement) 'A good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being' Share

Like I pointed out, some of you carry seun's site too much on your heads, meanwhile time and tide wait for no man. If your presence here does not benefit you in any tangibly beneficial way then maybe you should reconsider being a member.

Abu Zubair said I asked Jaabir as regard the profit (made) from dog and cat, he then said: the Messenger of Allaah forbade it. Reported by Muslim 2933 and Nasai.

Imam Nawawi (the author of Riyaadu Saaliheen said in Shar’u Muslim):

“As for prohibition of the price (profit) of the cat’s sale, then that should be understood on the fact that it does not bring any benefit. Or that the prohibition as regard its sale is aimed to make it a detested act so that people will be able to give one another as a gift, loan and something to have joy with, as it is common with people but if the animal is such that can bring benefit, then selling it cannot be voided and any profit made therein is pure, this is our position and as that of all scholars except what has been reported from Ibn Mundhir, Abu Hurairah, Taawus, Mujaahid and Jaabir bn Zayd that selling it is not permissible. The evidence of the latter people is the hadith at hand. But the majority answered them by saying that what the hadith implies is what has been said earlier. And what has been said earlier is an answer that can be relied on.” End of quote.

So if the cat is such that will be used for beneficial purposes as the Imam has said, then the sale is permissible, and if otherwise, the sale is not permissible then the purport of the prohibition will apply.

What gives more weight to that is the fact that is the fact that the Prophet was asked as regard the cat whether it is impure, he said: ‘It is among the animals that move round you, (that is, your pet)’ [Shaykh Al-AlBaani graded it Saheeh in Ir’waa Ghaleel].

But there is no mistaking the fact about dog, keeping it is prohibited so also is transacting in it. Dogs can only be kept for hunting purposes.

So that Abu Hurairah (literally: father of a little female cat) bears that name is now understood. Though Abu Hurairah said it was Abu Hirr (the father of a male cat) that the Prophet named him. He preferred the latter but detested the former, but Allaah decreed that he became popular with the former.